Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-19

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or, like Geroffie heroically says. "down i
i goes, and answer the CONS quences of ,
2 disguised appetite But the vehicle I
there's the rub. On reflection I have de
cided tina. so far as these pages are con
Q cerDed it shall be nameless. suffice II Il
say that We endured torture over villain
q Gus piece OF road for ten or twelve miles
, then We struck broad, smooth pike wheT.
the bruises were forgotten and the wrinklel
disappeared, as the tall peaks OF Mon,
8 Blanc loomed up against the sky and sig
nailed to us that We were near Our journey
end
We had now crossed the frontier into
France. and the scenery through the vale
Of Cbamonix was all that our fancy
, had painted It. The peaceful VALLEY
which industry and thrift has rendered
productive, lay smiling In the red rays OF
the decliningsun. A milky stream rushed
with rare horse speed down the valley on
our right. snd rugged mountains barred all
labOrs Of the husbsndman IN that direction.
To our left was the vast ice gorge of the
Mer de Glace, and the continuation Of the
snowy range that eliminated little further
on in Mount Blanc proper that forms the
dividing line between France and Italy and
towers up to the height of Is, 751 feet, GOV
! cred with perpetual snow from the foothills
70 its summit.
Our entrance into Chamonix was some
what on The grotesque order The drivers
whom my irrepressible Jehu had so xiii
fully circumvented In the morning, boiling
over with suppressed rage, determined 10
get even with him, and so when We were
within mile Of our destination
fell In behind four horse diligence which
was diligently making about eight miles
I'D hour on the down grade. or course we
had to give them the road or be showed
under One Of the "vehicles" succeeded
In getting abreast Of us when 1t was neck
and eek for awhile My wife, fearing a
collision, laid her strong right arm on
Jehu and made him curb The mule This
had the effect to let the other driver ahead,
with US close second, and the balance Of
the outfit holding their own. Thus We
dashed into town through the crowded
streets, to the evident wondermept of
every body. fancy some of the country
| folk thought 1t was part CT the show,
though not down In the bills, for the next
day Sunday was the centennial celebra-
ZION of the first ascent of Mont Blanc by
De Saussure 10 1887, and the whole c)un-
try for miles around had assembled to do
honor TO the occasion.
We found the hotels crowded to their
utmost, but as quarters had been engaged
In advance, we ere saved the incOnven
fence Of camping out. have never seen
any place SO profusely decorated as this
picturesque litIle CRY Of the Ssvoys at the
foot of N Iunt Blanc. The great event had
been well advertised, and The United States
Of America took front seat Aside from
the ri colors of France the flag of no other
nation was 30 conspicuous IL made us
feel at home, as It was part of our ceIebra |
tinn. There were Americans there in suf |
fcient numbers 10 demonstrate to the peo- |
pie that the precedence they had given the |
stars and stripes over The Union Jack was
a c. mpliment duly appreciated The bands
play I'd almost necessarily, and all ni9ht
long crowds Of Young fellows who evil
denlly were celebrating with "srick IN
theirp," patrolled the streets singing In the
widest discord the Marseilles hymn,
u hich, taken In connection
with the medley of voices
In the sidewalks that never ceased, and the
same narrowing notes of the bass horn
ph aiding for more beer, destroyed that re
pose, which iited nature only grants under
more favorable auspices However, We
worried through the night and at he ap-
pniUted time set cut for the grand stand IN
front Of which s. super Statue Of De Saus
sure was to be unveiled with great cere-
mony. An orator Of some celebrity had
been brought expressly from Paris and
Lesser j Cal lights were to indulge III flights
Of oratory. which had our most earnest
attention, but rs they were delivered In
French you will pardon me for any alb
5euce of comments In these pages
One Of the most striking ulj cts to be
seen was a group assembled around the
statue, of old guides of Mount Blanc, now
IN he retired list. but dressed In the cos.
tune and with The implements used by
hem In their perilous occupation. Ny
fancy painted similar picture
hat might be realized years
hence, when the last remnant of the
uen who put down the rebellion might
assemble around the yelled statue OF some
loved chief ain-LOgan for instance, wear
Ing The Old army blouse, the grey shoddy
blanket, The desptsed forage cap the cross
belt and waist belt with forty rounds that
made the hips blue, the odeIous haversack
he deceptive Canteen with 'cnmmissary'
Dr water as the case might be. the old
springfield musket with the rust Of many
decades on It's once Furnished barrel. then
The old veteran himself, rus,ed on, and use.
less as the old guu-s fitting moral to
sdorn such a tale rs this.
All through Sunday the festivities were
kept up including banquet to the guides
La the evening there We're fire works ard
40 Illumination, and such an illumination
as none who witnessed 1t will ever
forget The Judge ard l had taken
3 walk in The cleaning, in the
direction or one Of the glaciers, to settle
our dinners ard commune with nature "
The moon WIS yelled by dark cloud that
hung over the snowy crest Of Mount Blanc,
Lee festive cannops II Chamonix were
swsk, ming the echoes Of the narrow valley.
The music Of the bands In the distance
atuUded as sueetiy as The voic.s of mid
night serensde. The long strings of Chinese
IanIerDs. the candles and Jets that ilumi-
mated both houses and foliage, was simply
but hen the beacon lights
u resipous wood came out one by enc far
I'D the mountain sides 10 from, and rear Of
The gaia city, 1t electrified US. and We felt
ike calling all the people together and Ia
The name of The United States rendering
them unaDimc Us vote Of ibsDks. After
10 The hotel and securing q bal
cony all 10 ourselves sbd friends, we wit
messed The display of fireworks. which wac
gorgeous, and neither stinted In quality,
quantity or expense. Sleep was oui Of the
question n ST night for The same conditions
prevailed &c on The night previous
Some II our party In the course OF the
Jay had hired guides and mules IN make
he sscent I ire Mer de- Cisco. / farcy
he conditions" had nothing 10 do with